1)

Im not like a road

That shows no resistance

Im not in need of some pen

to declare my independance

Im just tired of a life

of collecting footprints

looking for the better way

7 am crying behind the wheel

out of time to feel

but I cant stop thinking

(chorus)

What if we all walked out

What if we all walked out

What if we all walked out of everything

Believe in nothing

Walked out of everything

2)

Im ready to forget every word

that has silently choked me

Every fear of penalty

ever instilled in me

Every chain I cannot see

Every hook in me

Im ready to pull them out

When you believe in nothing

There's nothing left to fight about

(chorus)

What if we all walked out

What if we all walked out

What if we all walked out of everything

Believe in nothing

No sense in anything

Walked out of everything

(copyright 2008 David Scott Rockower)

At the age of twenty three, I was gigless, broke, and nowhere near putting down my guitar to sell out to a "real job":  I had already played in every state with an aerosmith tribute act that I toured with for 3 years, and the road was still calling me so loudly that I couldn't hear anything else…. Except a ringing phone:..:

:"Mr David Scott Rockower"?

:"Yes"?

:"This is Bobby Freeman from MCI Records.  We gawt yer nayme from the Masishuns Nashional Referral service."  "Would you bay interested in auditionin for one of our groups in Memphis tennesay"?

:"Yes~!"

        My father bought me a ticket on a greyhound, and off I went with nothing but a guitar, and a bag of clothes.  I told myself that if I didn't get this gig, I still wasn't coming back and I might even hitchhike to florida (which…. I might still do today)  It took a day to get there by bus, and as my dear departed friend Jeffrey Yeshiva would say "Greyhound…. It's the who's who of the mentally disturbed". 

         He must have meant me?

As promised, I was picked up by a stretched limousine at the bus station and whisked off to Germantown which is a wealthy suburb of Memphis.  I met with Bobby Freeman, and his partner Betty Franklin.  I played, got the gig and began a new chapter.

It was like a dream – a tour bus, rehearsal studio 4 blocks from beale street where we stayed for 3 months, a limo, and a mansion where the head of the snake lived.  Hell – I even saw Billy Gibbons of ZZ-TOP on the street after being there for only two weeks!   

The job/music was backing Bobby up, as he was a wealthy, well connected, well known casino performer who had sold the filthy rich exactly what they wanted to buy – their kind of rock star.  So much so that he even changed his last name from his BIRTH name of "Gallagher" to "Freeman"…. Just to "fit in" if you get my drift. 

We rehearsed songs that were between 20 and 50 years old, and paraded around in a limo and a tour bus like it was ours.  The story we were told is that the bus itself used to belong to Hank Williams.  It was a false existence – a façade to fool everyone that we had it "going on".   Bobby would always say that when you have everything, people will give you anything…. and this opulent existence was the perfect tool to achieve that.  I found the music itself to be absolutely dreadful, but was enchanted by all the money and American rock and roll history that I was around. 

Bobby was extremely well connected, and after a certain level of trust was achieved between us, he came out with what his real mission was.  His best friend at the time was Dr. Nichopaulos (Dr. Nick), Elvis Presley's personal physician.  At the time of Elvis' death, Dr. Nick was sued relentlessy for overprescribing Elvis.  To cover such insurmountable fees, the good doctor sold a lot of his own gifts and collection of Elvis Presley stuff to Bobby, and Bobby put it in storage for 22 years.  Items like a empty prescription vial dated August 15, 1977 (the day before Elvis died), or a nasal douche Elvis used before he went onstage every night, a snowmobile helmet that he wore in a movie that I would occasionally try on, and scour for possibly a hair?  The coolest thing was his copy of the book "The Prophet" which he wrote in and read quite often, not knowing that 25 years later I would be laying in the back of this bus reading and touching his penwork every night.   He wrote notes in it like "If your not in love your not alive",  and a host of other epiphanies and personal thoughts.  http://bobbyfreeman.info/elvis/index.html

There's more blogs and stories to tell here – but since Im in a killer mood, I'll stick to just one.  Bobby had a big bus, and also had another relationship with rock and roll majesty – one Mr. Jerry Lee Lewis.  Jerry had Bobby drive him to a lot of his gigs in that bus, and on july 4^th of that year we brought the Killer and his band to New Orleans.   Trippy for a guy (me) who made a living impersonating the guitar player for Aerosmith that no one knows (Brad Whitford) to find himself sitting across from James Burton (guitar – Elvis, Jerry Lee – he even has his own Fender Signature Telecaster) on a tour bus afraid to even open my mouth for a six hour busride, with the killer of Rock Piano in the back.

Bobby being very much of a tyrant discouraged his musicians (slaves) from speaking in clients company, and myself being an insecure 23 year old I was terrified to even say hello to the greatness I was in such close quarters with. 

Over the bridges and through the swamps, to New Orleans we go!  We were working the merch table as the main attraction took the stage.  It was all the hits that you would expect, and I fielded questions from fans about "The Killer".  Of course, The Killer closed the show with "Great Balls of Fire" – most likely his 20,000^th time performing it.  The production company had set up some flame cannons onstage for this number.  Halfway through the killers 20,000^th performance of great balls of fire, four flame cannons erupt onstage shooting flames 20 feet into the air, and the killer leaps from his piano bench and exits stage left as if it were on cue.  Turns out the Killer had made it known that he didn't want any pyrotechnics, and he promptly climbed back on the tour bus as the band is left onstage for an uncomfortable five minutes as a guitar solo closes the show.  No thank you's no goodnight, no we love you all…  no pyro's.   Im wondering if 50 years after recording Great Balls of Fire, the killer was simply desperate for any excuse to not be a 65 year old man singing a song he recorded when he may have been 15.  If rock and roll keeps you young…. Just how young can it keep you?

A quiet busride home with a beaten embarrassed famous group of musicians ensued.  It was nice to find out that even guys who have "made it" can have an onstage disaster and be bummed out about it.  Hardly a word spoken untill it was time to say that it was nice to meet you.  I never saw any of the band again.

Rewind – its 1994 – and the duke is one year out of the gates of Oswego High School, and studying music at a local college, and still jamming with his high school band "Smocks Blues plus Tax".  The band consisted of myself on guitar, Joel Exline on bass, my best friend from school Bill Patterson on the drums and of course the "tax" was Ron Smith – the singer.  3 of my good friends who were still in high school - and like most bands in that position, our "BIG GIG" was the High School Variety Show, usually held in spring.

This year the entire event was voluntarily co-coordinated by a retired teacher named Robert Roundtree, a 65 year old gentleman who just wanted to sorta… "stay in the game".  At the bands audition for the show, he commented repeatedly on how loud we were, and asked if we knew any country.  Regardless of our repertoire he thought we should open the show.  The theatre sounded like an arena to us, and we were at our upmost excitement level.

At the third rehearsal for the show, I was asked if I would like to open the show with the star spangled banner and I of course agreed to the challenge.  I went home immediately and worked up a clever arrangement devoid of the typical Hendrix-isms of playing that piece on face ripping guitar.  To this day I think it was one of my better arrangements.

Fast forward one month to the big opening night, bitten fingernails all over the green room floor.  The band is set up to open, and of course – when the curtain opens the first thing that's going to happen is well… lil old me.  My favorite music teacher in high school, Mr. Anthony Joseph always said that being in music is an issue of Hurry up and Wait, and this being my first public guitar solo totally unaccompanied I was hurrying up and waiting, pacing, sweating, pacing… you name it...

House lights down, spotlight up, guitar amp on 11, I gave it all I had, crowd cheering after my cadenza as the band ripped into a slammin version of "Panama" by van halen.  3 songs later our short set was over and the next act took the stage.  We were the rock stars of the night high on adrenaline.

Upon load out that night I learned that during my solo, Mr. Roundtree, overseeing the event from the back of the theatre felt a pain in his chest during my solo, and by the end of my solo had fallen down the stairs in the back of the Oswego high school theatre and succumbed to a heart attack by the Dawns Early Light.  He died before the first line of the first song.  Paramedics had him to the hospital and he was pronounced dead by the end of our last song.

I live in confusion over the happenings of that nights performance.  Voodoo curse?  Am I evil?  Coincidence?  Responsible?  "If its too loud your too old"…  or "If its too loud, ill kill you with my guitar"…  I suppose you can slap a motto on anything, but this was serious… and Robert, although he didn't like my punk cocky 18 year old ways, was a courteous gentleman to me.

With nothing to do but make music, we played "Tears in Heaven" at the second night of the show to a crowd of mourners and heartbroken students.  It was just me and Ron ala Everly brothers style.

I have a friend from high school - a guitar buddy - Bob Griffin.  We met in high school, but became guitar friends AFTER high school as we would jam together at the open mic I used to go to in Oswego where I met Johnny U, and a whole slew of music friends from Oswego including the guys from Frostbit Blue, Jugglin Monkey, John Bletch, Dave Hawthorn, Tiger... etc... ALL of em were at the Owls Nest  open mics throughout that time.

Bob moved to San Fran with his wife sometime in the early 2000's.  I got word over the winter that they were hit by a drunk driver, and linda lost her life and Bob was in very critical condition and shouldnt have lived.  Their two children are ok as is the driver of the other vehicle.  Bob is recovering still.

The whole community is getting together to rasie money over a 2 day span to help him.  Im committed to play already on that saturday, but I WILL be there on the sunday.

theres gonna be great bands and reunions of old bands that I can't wait to see again - and it will be "Just Like Old Times".

Here's the details from the website:

What: Benefit for Bob Griffin
When: Sunday, June 22, noon-6pm
Where: The American Foundry in Oswego, NY.
Details: Live music, chicken BBQ, silent auction, and raffle
Cost: Pre-sale: $7 for Admission + BBQ; Day of: $5 for admission, $10 for Admission + BBQ

Bands Confirmed for Sunday: Members of Frostbit Blue, Juggling Monkey, Dave Hawthorn, Doc Apple, and Bob's former bands: Mr. Meaner, Purple Kind, Cousin It, and Danger Zone.

Also --

What: Get Back For Bob!
When: Saturday, June 21, 9pm-2am
Where: Old City Hall, Oswego, NY.
Details: Live music -- Purple Kind, Cousin It, Mr. Meaner, Jugglin Monkey, & Love Volcanoes. A full-on rock jam w/rotating musicians will finish the evening.
Cost: $5 admission plus free taxi ride home (sponsored by Eagle Beverage/Budwiser).



To buy advance tickets for Saturday or Sunday's event, email Bob & Chris Lighthall at lighthalls@gmail.com or call 315-342-5772. Leave your name and phone in case they need to contact you.

Also contact Bob or Chris if you can't make the benefit and want to donate to the family.

Food on Sunday includes: BBQ Chicken, salt potatoes, salad, and beans.

Bob and his family were hit head-on by a drunk driver on January 27th. His wife, Linda, was killed instantly and Bob suffered serious injuries (broken legs, wrist, and internal damage). His kids Basia (5) and Bo (2) had a few broken bones but are otherwise fine. Bob is healing in a rehabilitation hospital in California near his house.

We lost another great musician last night. Unexpectedly, my father - Gerald Leonard Rockower passed away around 3 am on November 15 2007 from what is being called a pulmonary adema.

Gerry was a fantastic classically trained pianist who could read anything you put in front of him. He was the first and most definitive source of what I call music. I would stay awake in my room as a child as he would play gershwin, ellington. He played in alot of big band jazz groups - including my first gig on drums with - "The Harborlights" where at the age of 14 I would whine and plead till they let me sit in on drums for a number or two. He bought me my first drum set and encouraged me to follow my heart in music no matter what.

Gerry was also a wonderful singer who graced many local adult chorus' with his rich distinctive baritone voice which I still hear tonight.

Gerry told me many times that he was enchanted by the creative process and he had a ridiculous and classy sense of humor! Thats what led him to become the gifted writer that he was. He was the public relations guy for Niagara Mohawk for the second half of his career untill his recent retirement. He's the one who told the world it wouldn't end at 12:01am, 2000.

Gerry worked part time for Harborfest as well spreading the word about who was coming to entartain his hometown of Oswego each year.

He leaves behind his wife Ann, 2 sons including myself and 2 daughters  - as well as 3 grandchildren with a 4th on the way.  The flags didn't even make it to half mast today -

Gerry took his final bow last night - and as much as we cheer we can't get an encore.... he did what the best entertainers do - he left us wanting more.

I just finished a promotional video for Toys in the Attic featuring clips from sioux falls stadium and harborfest (Oswego ny) - check it out!  I posted it on the Toys in the Attic page - and will be posting it here as well!

Rock on yo

D~!